Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Those troops were on their way to rescue a four-man team of Navy SEALs caught in a militant ambush. Three SEALs were killed, the fourth was rescued days later by a farmer.

Sunday's attack came during a period of rising violence in Afghanistan. Monthly death tolls of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan surpassed U.S. military deaths in Iraq in May and June. Last Monday, a suicide bomber attacked the Indian Embassy in Kabul, killing 58 people in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since 2001.

Preface: The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam By Dr. Muhammad Iqbal

By Dr. Muhammad Iqbal

They are perpetuating methods which were created for generations possessing a cultural outlook differing, in important respects, from our own. ‘Your creation and resurrection,’ says the Qur’an, ‘are like the creation and resurrection of a single soul.’ A living experience of the kind of biological unity, embodied in this verse, requires today a method physiologically less violent and psychologically more suitable to a concrete type of mind. In the absence of such a method the demand for a scientific form of religious knowledge is only natural.

The search for rational foundations in Islam may be regarded to have begun with the Prophet himself. His constant prayer was: ‘God! grant me knowledge of the ultimate nature of things!’5 The work of later mystics and non-mystic rationalists forms an exceedingly instructive chapter in the history of our culture, inasmuch as it reveals a longing for a coherent system of ideas, a spirit of whole-hearted devotion to truth, as well as the limitations of the age, which rendered the various theological movements in Islam less fruitful than they might have been in a different age.

Lecture 2: The Philosophical Test of the Revelations of Religious Experience

‘Zeno asks how can you go from one position at one moment to the next position at the next moment without in the transition being at no position at no moment? The answer is that there is no next position to any position, no next moment to any moment because between any two there is always another. If there were infinitesimals movement would be impossible, but there are none. Zeno therefore is right in saying that the arrow is at rest at every moment of its flight, wrong in inferring that therefore it does not move, for there is a one-one correspondence in a movement between the infinite series of positions and the infinite series of instants. According to this doctrine, then it is possible to affirm the reality of space, time, and movement, and yet avoid the paradox in Zeno’s arguments.’15

‘We have a world of point-events with their primary interval-relations. Out of these an unlimited number of more complicated relations and qualities can be built up mathematically, describing various features of the state of the world. These exist in nature in the same sense as an unlimited number of walks exist on an open moor. But the existence is, as it were, latent unless some one gives a significance to the walk by following it; and in the same way the existence of any one of these qualities of the world only acquires significance above its fellows if a mind singles it out for recognition.

The finite centre of experience, therefore, is real, even though its reality is too profound to be intellectualized. What then is the characteristic feature of the ego? The ego reveals itself as a unity of what we call mental states. Mental states do not exist in mutual isolation. They mean and involve one another. They exist as phases of a complex whole, called mind. The organic unity, however, of these interrelated states or, let us say, events is a special kind of unity. It fundamentally differs from the unity of a material thing; for the parts of a material thing can exist in mutual isolation. Mental unity is absolutely unique. We cannot say that one of my beliefs is situated on the right or left of my other belief.

This intellectual revolt against Greek philosophy manifests itself in all departments of thought. I am afraid I am not competent enough to deal with it as it discloses itself in Mathematics, Astronomy, and Medicine. It is clearly visible in the metaphysical thought of the Ash‘arite, but appears as a most well-defined phenomenon in the Muslim criticism of Greek Logic. This was only natural; for dissatisfaction with purely speculative philosophy means the search for a surer method of knowledge.

The writer then proceeds to tell us that the world stood in need of a new culture to take the place of the culture of the throne, and the systems of unification which were based on blood-relationship. It is amazing, he adds, that such a culture should have arisen from Arabia just at the time when it was most needed. There is, however, nothing amazing in the phenomenon. The world-life intuitively sees its own needs, and at critical moments defines its own direction.

As we all know, it was Kant who first raised the question: ‘Is metaphysics possible?’2 He answered this question in the negative; and his argument applies with equal force to the realities in which religion is especially interested. The manifold of sense, according to him, must fulfil certain formal conditions in order to constitute knowledge. The thing-in-itself is only a limiting idea. Its function is merely regulative. If there is some actuality corresponding to the idea, it falls outside the boundaries of experience, and consequently its existence cannot be rationally demonstrated. This verdict of Kant cannot be easily accepted.

INDEX: The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam By Dr. Muhammad Iqbal

Einstein, Albert (1879-1955), 34, 35, 120, 177-88; discoveries of, have laid the foundations of a far-reaching revolution in the entire domain of human thought, 31; theory of, suggests new ways of looking at the problems common to religion and philosophy, 7; see also relativity and Russell

NOTES AND REFERENCES: The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam By Dr. Muhammad Iqba

This is very close to the language of the Qur’«n which speaks of the hardening of the hearts, so that they were like rocks: see 2:74; 5:13; 6:43; 39:22; and 57:16.

This shows that Allama Iqbal, through his keenly perceptive study of the Qur’«n, had psychically assimilated both its meanings and its diction so much so that many of his visions, very largely found in his poetical works, may be said to be born of this rare assimilation; cf. Dr Ghul«m Mustaf« Kh«n’s voluminous Iqb«l aur Qur’«n(in Urdu).

The new Pakistani government's pursuit of peace deals with tribal groups in the region has been highly criticised in Washington. However, Qureshi had reassured Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, at a meeting held on Friday that his government was doing everything it can to combat lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan have regularly exchanged criticism of each others efforts in fighting armed groups operating along their long, remote, mountainous border. Qureshi described Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts as a "grassroots" approach.

Around 1973 or 74 when television antennae in Lahore started picking up Indian air waves from Amritsar, a tsunami of excitement engulfed us. To be honest, we weren’t thrilled by Doordarshan’s own output. To our eyes, it seemed clunky and dated. But the films . . . Ah! Now *that* was something else.

At first only a few fortunate houses got “India”, as we called Doordarshan. We pondered long and hard on what it was about these houses that made them more receptive. Was it their lack of tree cover; the height of their roofs; the angle of their antennae or just God’s grace? Our house did *not* get India. Every so often we’d send our grumbling driver up to the roof to prod and push the antenna into place.

The Israeli Air Force has held exercises at a distance of 1500 km from our shores. The Iranians have responded with test firings of their Shihab missiles, which have a similar range. Once, such activities were called "sabre rattling", nowadays the preferred term is "psychological warfare". They are good for failed politicians with domestic needs, to divert attention, to scare citizens. They also make excellent television. But simple common sense tells us that whoever plans a surprise strike does not proclaim this from the rooftops. Menachem Begin did not stage public exercises before sending the bombers to destroy the Iraqi reactor, and even Ehud Olmert did not make a speech about his intention to bomb a mysterious building in Syria.

The Urs of Ajmer serves as an annual reminder of the need to humble the individual self in the presence of the divine. For such was the faith of the Khwaja himself in the need to surrender to God through service to others while leading a strict spartan life himself, that this became the Sufi way of transcending the ego.

Don't mess with my madrasa: “A madrasa must not be rich enough to become corrupt”

Mohammed Wajihuddin,TNN

Maulana Madni cites examples from states like Bihar, West Bengal and MP where many madrasas joined the state madrasa boards. "Unqualified teachers who were more interested in drawing their salaries than teaching subjects like Islamic jurisprudence and Hadees (the Prophet's traditions) have bred a generation of ill-informed maulvis. Now the Centre wants to finish off the madrasas completely," says Maulana Madni who is leading a campaign against the modernisation of the madrasas.

“We are looking at a complete channel with news and entertainment that will cater to all sections of life. I want to showcase the new face of Kabul to the world. This is no longer a place of rockets and guns,” Sarosh says. Impressed with his way of working, the TV channel has asked him to get eight more senior technical hands from India to jumpstart the programming.

If God Almighty is not partial to His creatures with regard to material blessings like - fresh-air, rain, sun- shine etc., why should He be partial in regard to His spiritual blessings (The Guidance of God)? He has not been partial! There is no nation or language group on earth who does not know God by some name. This knowledge was given by the Creator Himself through the lips of His chosen messengers. The names of a very few of these messengers we know, the rest have been lost or clouded in superstition.Though all theology (knowledge of God) originated with God, mankind played fast and loose with those pure and holy concepts, adding frills and adornments where no embellishments was needed - it despoiled the language. In the words of Mrs. Ellen G. White, a "prophetess" of the 7th Day Adventist Movement, in her Bible Commentary it is said:

"LEARNED MEN HAD IN SOME INSTANCES CHANGED THE WORDS, THINKING THAT THEY WERE MAKING IT PLAIN, WHEN IN REALITY THEY WERE MYSTIFYING THAT WHICH WAS PLAIN."1In the Religious Annals of the world, the Jewish and Christian Scriptures called the Holy Bible abound with graphic examples of portraying God after man's own pattern:

1. For further detailed references to Mrs. White, see my book - "Is the Bible God's Word?".

There is a danger, however, when anyone argues that their own religion and civilisation had/has a monopoly on reason and had/has effected the best synthesis between faith and reason. Such triumphalism is a serious impediment to dialogue and for any kind of sustained civil discourse. If dialogue is what the Pope is after, setting up a reified Islam as a straw man in order to posit the superiority of Western civilisation and its supposedly unique values is a non-starter. Dialogue is better-served through the humble acknowledgment of commonalities, of one's own sins and of one's connectedness to the other.

The three-day conference of religious leaders will start July 16 in Madrid.

By Caryle Murphy | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

The 200 invitees included vocal critics of Islam, notably the Rev. Franklin Graham, a conservative Evangelical who has called Islam an "evil and wicked" religion. He cannot attend because he is preparing for a trip to North Korea, a Graham spokesman said.

Former Vice President Al Gore and the Archbishop of Canterbury were also invited, but declined because of prior engagements, their offices said.

Shame and Outrage: Muslims defame Islamic law by marrying off minor girls

By Sujata B. Shakeel and Anindita D. Choudhury in New Delhi

Shantha Sinha, chairperson, National Council for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), says: “We can’t change the personal law, but there should be a universal law which goes beyond religions.” Zoya Hassan, professor, department of political science, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), agrees. “There is a minimum age for marriage and that should be followed irrespective of religion. The most important thing is that there should be compulsory registration of marriages. Once you do that, you also ensure that no one below the minimum age gets married,” she says. That’s often not the case.

The best yet again: Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children wins yet another Booker—one chosen by readers

“These are the nettles we have been compelled to try and grasp,” she told reporters. But there was some criticism of the award, partly because the choice was narrowed to just six nominees. “It’s an artificial exercise, simply because the general public only got to pick from six of the previous winners,” said Jonathan Ruppin, promotions manager at Foyles bookshop. “Readers have not been able to vote for some of their most enduring favourites,” he added, mentioning, among others, Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. Around 8,000 people from around the world took part in the online poll, and Midnight’s Children won 36 per cent of votes.

Feeding the Muslim stereotype: Darul Uloom Deoband has not learnt any lessons

A Hindustan Times editorial

July 12, 2008

Imrana and her husband did not take the fatwa lying down and after a protracted battle the court sentenced her father-in-law to ten years in jail and ordered that he compensate her. The present case, too, must have such an ending.

At the heart of the issue is that of community-specific laws overriding the law of the land. The common thread in all personal laws in India is that they discriminate against women in matters of marriage, divorce and inheritance.

The Saudi kingdom can be considered one of the youngest of the oldest kingdoms in the world. Its establishment and operation recalls the reign of the Spanish Catholic monarchy of the 15th century. Similar to the Ferdinand and Isabella pact with the Catholic church to gain recognition for their kingdom in return for sole approval of the Catholic church in Spanish lands, Arabian chieftain Mohammed ibn Saud, in 1744, allied himself with Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, leader of the Wahhab sect. The Wahhabis backed the Saud families in their methodical conquest of the entire Arabian peninsula, and, in turn, were allowed to control Saudi social society as the dominant and only fully recognized religion. Believing in the basics of Islam, they enforced a strict interpretation of the Koran.

As Pakistan's Taliban take control of DARRA ADAM KHEL town, military stays in fort

Current models of M16 machine guns are for sale in Darra Adam Khel, smuggled from Afghanistan. The asking price is 450,000 rupees (U.S. $7,000).

By Saeed Shah | McClatchy Newspapers

That administrative system, a legacy of the British Empire, gave enormous powers to the local chief bureaucrat, known as the political agent in the tribal territories and the deputy commissioner in the rest of Pakistan. He controlled the security forces and acted as a magistrate, adjudicating on disputes, powers that could have been used to quash Taliban cells before they had a chance to mushroom. Adding fuel was the anger that the tribes of the area felt about Pakistan's alliance with Washington after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001.

Khalidi wants the reader to enjoy the experience of reading the Qur'an. Of course, he wants to communicate the majesty of its language, the beauty of its style, and the "eternal present tense" of its grammar. But he also wants the reader to appreciate the Qur'an's unique structure, how the language changes with the subject matter, how it swirls around and makes rhythmic connections. He wishes to show how each of the seven tropes of the Qur'an (command, prohibition, glad tidings, warnings, sermons, parables and narratives) registers a change in the style of its language. A lofty ambition, but one he pulls off with some success.

"I've heard Israel will somehow get strengthened because of the deal. Since most Muslims oppose the Jewish state, an impression has been created that they are against the deal," said Mumbai-based cleric Maulana Abu Zaffar Hassan Nadvi. "Let the country decide whatever is in its best interest. Let's not see the deal from the prisms of community or religions."

'I have decided to make this report to the Islamic court under the provision of malicious attack on my character, fabrication and lies,' he said after filing the complaint at a sharia office.

Anwar, who is being investigated by the police over the sodomy allegation, is making his case in a shariah court because the burden of proof in Islam is much heavier, his lawyer Kamar Ainiah Kamaruzaman said.

Under Islamic laws, an accuser in fornication cases has to produce four witnesses regarding the sexual act to back his or her claim, as prescribed by the Koran.

Monday, May 28, 2012

There’s nothing new about this. As Inayat Bunglawala of the Muslim Council of Britain said at the time: “English common law already allows us to go to mediation to whichever third party we wish.” It is perfectly simple, as a senior legal figure pointed out to me: a civil contract can, if the parties agree, be governed by any legal or religious code of their choice, even that of Azerbaijan, provided that, in case of dispute, no decisions go against English law or public policy. Criminal cases can, of course, be dealt with only under English law and only in English courts of law.

Hezbollah has the capability of loading truly strategic warheads on the large number of mostly crude older technology unguided rockets that it has. The use of advanced-conventional fuel-air explosive (FAE) warheads on the Katyushas would have had a much more profound effect in Israeli cities. The use of FAE submunitions on the larger missiles capable of hitting any target in Israel would have given Hezbollah the firepower of low-yield nuclear weapons without crossing the nuclear threshold. Coupled with the large number of missiles in Syria and those in Iran, the Hezbollah rockets posed, and continue to pose, a truly grave strategic threat to Israel if FAE warheads are used. This threat is dramatically increased if radiological ("dirty bombs"), chemical, and/or biological warheads are used.

The vehement reaction to the transfer by the People's Democratic Party and the National Conference was, in turn, geared towards beefing up their own electoral prospects among the valley's Muslims. These parties are, in theory, wedded to the Indian constitution and its democratic processes, but they have to show their "pro-Islam" credentials to be electorally relevant in the Kashmir Valley. The land transfer issue was ripe for exploitation by these political opportunists who benefit from perks and privileges as people's representatives within the Indian polity but commiserate with jihadi secessionists.

"Coalition forces are saying that this operation was against armed insurgents in the area, but Gov. Nuristani is insisting that three hours before this airstrike the people were informed by international forces that they should leave the area because of a possible airstrike against insurgents," the statement said.

Magdy Hussein, editor of the online Islamist paper Al Shaab, seems to think that change is upon us. “It’s the end of an era summed up by the fact that Egypt got no votes at all in the competition to hold the 2010 World Cup, a symbolic statement of the total cultural collapse we are in,” he wrote. “But this is happening at the same time that the American plan for hegemony in Arab and Islamic countries has witnessed a huge setback in Iraq, and this opens great possibilities for liberation from the American-Zionist alliance. This only confirms what we have been saying all along: that American power is in a state of retreat, not advance.”

The latter group is petrified by a reminder from the Prophet Muhammad, "O followers of Muhammad! By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #627]

The unintended impact of this Hadith has been that we forgot to have a sense of humour altogether. Indeed, the more religious we are, the less we laugh. On top of this, I have observed that the more religious and scholarly Muslims are, their faces are stiffer, even when they have their pictures taken. Life is more than just weeping and crying. There might be some proportionality, but there is plenty of lighter dimension of life as well. So, go ahead, cry a little, laugh a little.

The Swat problem is better explained within the larger picture. The rise of Islamic terrorism coincides with the discovery that the world’s oil production has peaked and what remains underground is not going to go round for long. The anxiety produced by this discovery is augmented by the fact that rapid industrialisation in the developing world is jacking up the demand for oil. There is global expectation that a rivalry for access to oil resources will intensify in years to come.

Israeli human rights groups have documented the routine torture of Palestinians by Shin Bet agents with “beatings, painful binding, back bending, body stretching and prolonged sleep deprivation”. Amnesty has long reported the widespread use of torture by Israel, whose victims emerge as mere shadows of their former selves. Some never return. Israel is high in an international league table for its murder of journalists, especially Palestinian journalists, who receive barely a fraction of the kind of coverage given to the BBC’s Alan Johnston.

Support for Obama highlights the positivity of Muslim attitudes towards the US

Muslims, too, Believe in ‘Change’

By Saif Shahin

July 4, 2008“Everything that the Republican party and the George W Bush administration have stood for has been at odds with the Muslim world. So they are looking forward to having a Democratic administration next,” he said while also in Doha in April. “It is also not much of a surprise that a vast majority are supporting Obama. They see him as the one candidate who will move towards reconciling differences between the US and the Muslim world.”

World oil prices have risen by nearly 50% since the beginning of 2008 and nearly doubled over the past year. Analysts have argued over how much of that increase is due to structural factors in the world economy - such as growing demand in middle-income countries and the depreciating dollar that would tend to make the price increase permanent - and how much is related to worries about possible supply disruptions arising from the kind of conflict that has plagued the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda in the Gulf, economic or other sanctions against key oil-producers, or war.

The Middle East was a term coined in 1903 by an American naval historian and strategic thinker, at the very height of British power across the world, when the Boers had been defeated in South Africa, the Ottomans had been virtually displaced from their most important colony Egypt, the Arabian Sea confirmed as a British lake and India itself was preparing to celebrate the glory of the Raj with a glittering durbar summoned by the Viceroy of Viceroys, Lord Curzon. India was a bulwark of this concept called the Middle East, a fortress of trade and imperial might that had neo-colonised China, and supplied the bulk of the troops for British expansion. The rupee was king from Singapore to Jeddah.

Ahmadiyya, which claims followers in 190 different countries, is no stranger to persecution. Pakistan, where the breakaway sect was founded in the 19th century, banned the group in 1974. In Bangladesh, Muslim groups petitioned to have Ahmadiyya followers officially declared as "kafirs", or non-believers. Ahmadiyya claims that its estimated 200,000 to one million members in Indonesia have faced rising harassment with the country's transition to democracy.

Pakistan joined the World Bank in July of 1950 and by 1954 was a member of U.S.-lead aggressive military pacts called SEATO (South East Asian Treaty Organization) and CENTO (Central Treaty Organization) in the name of fighting the global communist threat. It was around this time Islamabad began purchasing huge arms caches from the United States. Today, Pakistan owes the World Bank $10 billion, a sum that, not astonishingly, is equal to that of its arms purchases from the U.S.

The conversations backfired. Two former United States government officials say they were surprised and frustrated when instead of demanding action from Mr. Musharraf, Mr. Bush repeatedly thanked him for his contributions to the war on terrorism. "He never pounded his fist on the table and said, 'Pervez you have to do this,'" said a former senior intelligence official who saw transcripts of the phone conversations. But another senior administration official defended the president, saying Mr. Bush had not gone easy on the Pakistani leader.

Seven years on, archaeologists and volunteers from around the world are doing what they can to put the symbols of Bamiyan's Buddhist legacy back together again. Piles of shattered rock lie stacked under shelters of corrugated iron and plastic sheeting where the Buddhas once stood. Under debate, right now, is the question of how and whether the statues should be rebuilt. Little remains of the stucco coat and sculpted stone that gave the Buddhas of Bamiyan their definition. Putting them back together again would be akin to piecing together a puzzle of a million pieces — but without the benefit of an image printed on the box top.

The almanac under review has been compiled with all the sincerity that is required for this kind of work. It covers features such as a country-wise panorama, an unobstructed scene, or comprehensive portrayal of different regions of the Muslim world; importance given to human rights and social egalitarianism by Islam; the significance of such an important and widely-misunderstood Islamic institution as jihad, or striving for a right cause; the significance and role of mosques in Muslim community life; the dignity, status and security of women in Islam; terrorism, extremism, sectarianism and other subversive cults and ideologies and the cardinal teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Outrageous claim of a Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'

Aired on LBC TV (Lebanon) - June 19, 2008

Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu'bi: Marriage is actually two things: First we are talking about the marriage contract itself. This is one thing, while consummating the marriage – having sex with the wife for the first time – is another thing. There is no minimal age for entering marriage. You can have a marriage contract even with a one-year-old girl, not to mention a girl of nine, seven, or eight. This is merely a contract [indicating] consent. The guardian in such a case must be the father, because the father's opinion is obligatory. Thus, the girl becomes a wife... But is the girl ready for sex or not?

About Me

New Age Islam(Hindi: न्यू ऐज इस्लाम,Urdu: نیو ایج اسلام,Arabic: نيو أج اسلام) is aliberal Musliminstitution based in New Delhi,India.[1]It encouragesprogressivethinking amongMuslimsworldwide by exposing them to news, analyses and opinions on a variety of social, political, theological and spiritual issues related toIslam. It also provides a platform for debate on contemporary concerns facing Muslims, such asreligious extremism,terrorismand relations with other religious groups.[2][3][4]